U. Albany president Robert Jones, right and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

U. Albany president Robert Jones, right and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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U. Albany president Robert Jones, left greets a large gathering of local and state education and public leaders June 11, 2013 on the occasion of the opening of the RNA Institute lab on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

U. Albany president Robert Jones, left greets a large gathering of local and state education and public leaders June 11, 2013 on the occasion of the opening of the RNA Institute lab on the University at Albany ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Image 3 of 8

Congressman Paul Tonko, right, is given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Congressman Paul Tonko, right, is given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Image 4 of 8

Congressman Paul Tonko, right, is given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Ken Halvorsen, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Congressman Paul Tonko, right, is given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Ken Halvorsen, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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U. Albany president Robert Jones, left and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

U. Albany president Robert Jones, left and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are given a tour of the RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building by Maria Basanta Sanchez, left, June 11, 2013 on the University ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Image 7 of 8

U. Albany president Robert Jones, right and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are greeted June 11, 2013 by RNA Institute Director Paul Agris, left, in the new RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building on the University at Albany campus in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

U. Albany president Robert Jones, right and Congressman Paul Tonko, center, are greeted June 11, 2013 by RNA Institute Director Paul Agris, left, in the new RNA lab in the LIfe Sciences Research building on the ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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UAlbany's new lab offers entry to win science race

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Albany

Three years after receiving a $5.4 million federal stimulus grant to pay for its construction, the University at Albany unveiled its new RNA Institute.

The 15,000-square-foot lab will be home to 60 employees, from technicians and researchers to administrators like Paul Agris, who was recruited from North Carolina State in 2010 to become director of the facility.

Agris opened the institute's doors to the public for the first time on Tuesday, unveiling space that is divided up by windows, not walls, which is designed to encourage collaboration. One thousand square feet of lab space is set aside for visiting researchers who can spend up to three months at the institute, and all of the benches and equipment can be moved, depending on the needs of various research projects.

"We have the ability to change the geometry with the science," Agris said.

RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule in the body that is similar to DNA. While DNA carries the genetic code on how to build a person's cells, RNA follows through on building this code, or blueprint. Scientists believe they can cure diseases like cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer's through RNA research.

Although scientists have spent decades researching DNA, RNA has received less focus, which is why UAlbany officials have been promoting the significance of the RNA Institute for years now. The Capital Region Economic Development Council, one of 10 across the state that competes for the state's limited economic development funding, was also able to secure a $2 million grant for the facility, which UAlbany officials say has attracted a total of $32.7 million in both tax dollars and industry investment.

Some of that money paid for a new 3-D projector for the RNA Institute's conference room that will allow researchers at the lab "to walk into" an RNA molecule for better understanding on how it works.

Agris says that there are 57 other schools and labs that are working with the RNA Institute from all across the country. And both scientific and industry advisory boards have been filled to help drive research priorities and help attract additional funding.

One of the advisory board members is Ronald Breaker, a biophysics and biochemistry professor at Yale University.

Breaker says that RNA holds such promise in finding cures for disease because at the beginning of time, RNA played a much larger role in the body's production. He also gushed at lab space.

"It's a race car," Breaker said. "What do you do with a race car? You drive it hard. That's the way you are going to win scientific races."